Previous events didn’t have a mechitza because the weakness of the tzibur made it necessary to accept bedi’eved loopholes and exceptions. It is good news that we are coming back to ourselves. This quarter million dollars is definitely going where it’s needed.
If you check who is new on the Dais this time around, you will know who are real Gedolim (the new guys) and the fakers (the ones who were there last time, when the flesh was weak).